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THE 
PLAYS OF PERCIVAL WILDE 



The Reckoning 



M 



Price 3S cents 



•'^°'0«SO'?SO<^.o-s«j5r..o' 



WALTER H. BAKER COMPANY 

9 HAMILTON PLACE, BOSTON, MASS. 



EIGHT COMEDIES /or LITTLE THEATRES 

Including: ^ 

The Sequel, The Previous Engagement, The Dyspeptic Ogre, 
In the Net, A Wonderful Woman, Catesby, Embryo. 

Price, cloth binding, $1.50 net 






"Here is Mr. Wilde in lighter vein with eight comedies, and each one sa 
whimsically or charmingly something real about life. His stuff has fiber; his 
handling distinction. His plays all reveal the peculiar and essential quality of the 
playwright." — ^Algernon Tassin in The New York Herald. 



THE UNSEEN HOST 

and Other War Plays 

Including : 

The Unseen Host, Mothers of Men, In the Ravine, Valkyrie. 

Price, cloth binding, $1.50 net 

"No American dramatist handles clever dialogue and tense action more 
effectively than he does. His insight into character is incomparably keener than 
that of the writers of our Broadway successes. Taken together, these are the finest 
dramas the war has inspired in America." — Williams Haynes in The Dial. 



A QUESTION OF MORALITY 

and Other Plays 

Including: 

A Question of Morality, Confessional, The Villain in the Piece, 
According to Darwin, The Beautiful Story. 

Price, cloth binding, $1.50 net 

"Powerful, rapid in action, dramatic in construction and dialogue." — Hartford 
C our ant. 

"The subjects are those of most interest to-day, the treatment is fresh and 
sincere, and the author shows a keen sense of dramatic values." — The Independent. 

■ "His dramatic aptitude and his command of his material are so pronounced 
that he may be classed among those few writers who have achieved distinction in 
this medium." — Hartford Times. 

" Percival Wilde is the most prolific and successful author in this kind of dramatic 
literature. He has established a distinguished reputation for himself in the history 
of the Little Theatre in this country." — Reedy' s Mirror. 



The Reckoning 

A Play in One Act l^3b 



By 

PERCIVAL WILDE 



NOTE 

The acting rights of this play are strictly reserved. Per- 
formances may be given by amateurs upon payment to the 
author of a royahy of five dollars (;?5.oo) for each perform- 
ance. Production by professional actors, without the written 
consent of the author, is forbidden. Persons who may wish 
to produce this play should apply to Mr. Percival Wilde, 
in care of Walter H. Baker Company, 9 Hamilton Place, 
Boston, Massachusetts. 




BOSTON 

WALTER H. BAKER COMPANY 
1922 



The Reckoning v^^^ 



CHARACTERS 

The Barber. 
The Customer. 




Copyright, 191 3, by Percival Wilde. 

New material added and 
Copyright, 1922. by Percival Wilde. 

A// rights reserved. 



*G1.D 62620 

OCT 31 1922 



The Reckoning 



The first Little Theatre production of ' ' The 
Reckoning" was made by the Players^ 
Detroit ^ Michigan ^ February iSth, ig22. 

The Barber . , . Michael W. Todd 
The Customer . . George, P. McMahon 



PLEASE NOTICE 

The acting rights in this play are strictly reserved by 
the author. Applications for its use should be addressed 
to Mr. Percival Wilde, in care of Walter H. Baker 
Company, Hamilton Place, Boston, Mass. 



Attention is called to the penalties provided by the Copy- 
right Law of the United States of America in force July i, 
1909, for any infringement of his rights, as follows : 

Sec. 28. That any person who wilfully and for profit shall in- 
fringe any Copyright secured by this Act, or who shall knowingly 
and wilfully aid or abet such infringement, shall be deemed guilty 
of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished 
by imprisonment for not exceeding one year or by a fine of not 
less than one hundred dollars, or both, at the discretion of the 
court. 



Sec. ag. That any person who, with fraudulent intent, shall 
insert or impress any notice of Copyright required by this Act, or 
words of the same purport, in or upon any uncopyrighted article, 
or with fraudulent intent shall remove or alter the copyright 
notice upon any article duly copyrighted shall be guilty of a 
misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred 
dollars and not more than one thousand dollars. 



THE RECKONING 



The scene is a barber shop. At the center is 
the chair y facing a mirror and washstand at the 
right. The tiled walls are sprinkled with the usual 
advertisements. At the rear, a door leads up to 
the street by a -flight of two or three steps, A 
clock on the left wall indicates three. 

At the rise of curtain. The Barber, a man of 
fifty, is discovered sharpening a razor, and whis- 
tling softly to himself. He finishes with the razor; 
seats himself in the chair, takes up a paper, and 
reads. 

The door opens, and The Customer, a flashily- 
dressed individual of forty-five, enters the shop. 

The Barber 
(Rising at once) 
Good afternoon, sir. 

The Customer 
(Pulling out his watch) 
That clock right? 

5 



6 THE RECKONING 

The Barber 
Yes, sir ; Western Union time. Corrected every 
hour. 

The Customer 
My watch has run down. (He sets it.) Now, 
I've got just five minutes to spare. Can you shave 
me in that time.f^ 

The Barber 
Five minutes, sir. ^ Easy! Easy! 

The Customer 
All right. Go ahead. 

(He takes off his hat and coat, and 
moves toivards the chair.) 

The Barber 
Your collar also, sir. 

The Customer 
(Smiling) 
Fussy, aren't 3^ou? 

The Bx\rber 
Well, sir, I try to do my work well. 

The Customer 
(Takes off tie and collar , putting his expensive 
scarf-pin in the edge of his vest, which he does 
not remove) 
Satisfied now.^ 



THE RECKONING t 

The Barber 
Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. {He gets out sheet, 
towels, etc.) In a hurry, sir.? 

The Customer 
Yes. Got to attend a meeting at three-ten. 

The Barber 
Oh! The auction up-stairs.? 

The Customer 
Yes. (He glances at the clock.) You'll have 
to cut it pretty fine. 

The Barber 
Don't worry, sir. There's lots of time. . . • 
From the country, sir.^* 

The Customer 
(Lighting a cigar) 
Yes. Southerner. 

The Barber 

(Fastening the sheet) 

I thought so. I'm from the country myself. 

The Customer 
What part.? 

The Barber 
Oh, that would be difficult to say. You see, 
I've moved around so much that I'm neither a 



8 THE RECKONING 

Southerner nor a Northerner. I'm just an Amer- 
ican. {He mixes the lather.) I Hved in a Httle 
town near Savannah for a year. 

The Customer 
Did jou.? Why, so did I. 

The Barber 
Yes, indeed. I used to see you — quite frequently 
• — though you never came into my shop. Then I 
went to Philadelphia. 

The Customer 
What year ? 

The Barber 
Let me think. It was April, twelve years ago. 

The Customer 
April, twelve years ago.? / went to Philadelphia 
the same month! 

The Barber 
I saw you there, too, sir. 

{He lets doim the chair suddenly.) 

The Customer 
{Startled) 
What are you doing? 

The Barbee 
I'm hurrying, sir. 



THE RECKONING 9 

The Customer 
Well, you needn't break my neck about it. 

The Baiiber 
No, sir. (Lathering.) From Philadelphia I 
went to Newark. 

The Customer 
To Newark? 

The Barber 
And from Newark to Indianapolis. 

The Customer 
{Much surprised) 
What? 

The Barber 
And then Muscatine— for a few months — and 
Chicago — and Louisville. 

The Customer 
Why, one would think you had been following 
me about ! I've lived in every one of those places. 

The Barber 
Have you, sir? It's a little world, isn't it? 

The Customer 
You've been a barber right along .J* 



10 THE RECKONING 

The Barber 
I couldn't do anything else, sir. It's my trade. 

The Customer 

{Smiling) 

Well, this is the first time you ever shaved me. 

The Barber 
Curious, isn't it.^* But it may be the last. 

The Customer 
That's so. I'm going to leave town right after 
the auction. 

The Barber 
If I may ask, sir, where are you going .f^ 

The Customer 
I don't know yet. (Jocularly.) Are you go- 
ing to follow me.'' 

The Barber 

Sooner or later, sir. It's going to be a long 
journey, isn't it.? 

The Customer 
What makes you think so.'' 

The Barber 
There's a long journey we all take — sooner or 
later. Eh.? 



THE RECKONING 11 

The Customer 
A long journey? But you're wasting time, 
man! 

The Barber 
Am I, sir? {He strolls to the clock; looks at it; 
returns.) Fine weather we're having. 

The Customer 
(Impatiently) 
Yes. 

The Barber 
Though a little more rain would be good for the 
crops. 

The Customer 
Um. 

The Barber 
(Very leisurely) 
You know, sir, the young man who keeps the 
shoe store at the corner was saying as I trimmed 
his hair this morning 

The Customer 
(Interrupting) 
I don't care what he said! I want to get 
shaved ! 



12 THE RECKONING 

The Barber 
Yes, sir! Yes, sir! And — and the young lady 
who runs the news stand up-stairs — right next to 
the elevator, sir — she was saying that she had 
never 

The Customer 
(Interrupting more violently) 
I told you once I don't care what your friends 
were saying! I've got to be at that meeting at 
three-ten. 

The Barber 
Yes, sir. 

The Customer 
My time is almost up. You'll have to hurry. 

The Barber 
(Slapping on more lather) 
Don't worry, sir. I always keep my promises. 
Why, I remember, sir, back in Savannah, when my 
poor daughter was alive, I promised 

The Customer 
(Interrupting angrily) 
I don't give a damn for your daughter ! 

The Barber 
(Mildly) 
No, sir. I didn't think you did. 



THE RECKONING 13 

The Customer 
And jour time is up. 

The Barber 
(Beginning to shave) 
Oh, no, sir ! It hasn't begun. 

The Customer 
(Starting) 
What do you mean? 

The Barber 
Don't do that again, sir! You don't know how 
near you came to cutting yourself! 

The Customer 
You promised to finish with me in five minutes! 

The Barber 
No, sir, if you will allow me to contradict you, 
I did not. 

The Customer 
You said you would shave me in five minutes. 

The Barber 
Yes, sir. That is correct. 

The Customer 
And it's 



14 THE RECKONING 

The Barber 
Easy, sir, easy! The razor is sharp! (Shath 
ing.) When I promised to shave you in five min- 
utes, I didn't say anything about lathering. 
That takes several minutes by itself. 

The Customer 
What? 

The Barber 
Now you've done it! {He applies styptic to a 
cut on The Customer's face.) Smarts, doesn't it? 

The Customer 
{Furious) 
You clumsy, awkward, conceited galoot ! 

The Barber 
{With sudden and overwhelming rage) 
Don't talk to a gentleman like that ! You cur ! 
( With a sudden resumption of his obsequious man- 
ner.) I did it on purpose. 

The Customer 
{Gasping) 
Wh-what do you mean? 

The Barber 
{BespectfuUy) 
You really mustn't accuse me of being clumsy, 



THE RECKONING 15 

sir. I'm not clumsy. If I cut jou, it was quite 
■ intentional — like this ! 

{Cutting him a second time.) 

The Customer 
Damnation! Are you crazy? 

The Barber 
(Applying the styptic) 
No, sir, I'm quite sane. (The Customer tries 
to sit up.) Oh, don't do that, sir! Don't do 
that ! My razor is frightfully sharp ! 

The Customer 
(Panic-stricken) 
I want to sit up ! 

The Barber 
Don't try it while the razor is at your throat, 
sir. It is sure to be fatal. 

The Customer 
Then take it away ! 

The Barber 
Oh, no, no, no! When I am through shaving 
you — not before. Now take it easy, sir. Lie back 
quietly! Quietly! That's it. 



16 THE RECKONING 

The Customer 
(Controlling himself with an effort, and putting 
his cigar in his mouth) 
What are you going to do with me? What's 
this? A hold-up? 

The Barber 

What am I (With a sudden access of 

rage.) Take that filthy thing out of your mouth! 
(He snatches the cigar, and throws it to the floor; 
continues obsequiously.) What am I going to do 
with you, sir? Why, really, I haven't the slight- 
est idea. Er — can't you suggest something? 

The Customer 

(Quickly and earnestly) 

Listen to me. I must be at that meeting at 

once! I can't spare another minute. If I am not 

there before three-fifteen I will be ruined — do you 

understand me ? — ruined ! 

The Barber 
You needn't raise your voice, sir. My hearing 
is excellent. 

(He lathers again, keeping the razor 
near The Customer's throat.) 

The Customer 
(Piteously) 
Can*t 1 convince you? I 



THE RECKONING 17 

The Bakbee 
Oh, I believe you. Don't let that trouble you. 
In fact, I know all about the meeting. There's 
going to be an auction, and unless you bid, it will 
be all up with you. 

The Customer 
Then you'll let me go there .'^ 

The Barbee 
I'm afraid I won't, sir. 

The Customer 
But 

The Barbee 
If I may use your own words, sir, I don't give a 
damn about your meeting. 

The Customee 
{Angrily) 
Who the devil do you think 

The Barber 
(Interrupting him hy running the lather brush 
into his mouth) 
Oh, shut up! (There is a pause.) 

The Customer 
I'll — I'll give you ten dollars to let me go. 



18 THE RECKONING 

The Barber 
(Acting as if he did not hear) 
Beg pardon, sir? 

The Customer 
{Taking the scarf-pin from the edge of his vest.) 
This scarf-pin — ^it's worth five hundred dol- 
lars — I'll give 

The Barber 
{Raises his hand to his ear, knocking the pin out 
of The Customer's hand) 
I don't hear well on this side. Try the other. 

The Customer 
A thousand dollars! I'll give you a thousand 
dollars ! 

The Barber 
I'm afraid it won't do, sir. You see, the young 
lady who runs the news stand up-stairs says — 3^ou 
won't interrupt me this time, will you.^^ — she sa3^s 
it's important to keep customers in sight. There's 
nothing so bad for trade as an empty shop. 

The Customer 
Oh, have you no heart? It's almost too late 
now ! Every second is worth a dollar to me ! 



THE RECKONING 19 

The Bauber 
Well, sir, it will console you to know that my 
time is worth very little. 

The Customer 
Flease let me up 1 If I wait two minutes longer, 
I might as well shoot myself. 

The Barber 
I shan't object, sir. 

The Customer 
Oh! Oh! Oh! 

The Barber 
So you are beginning to feel some regrets? I'm 
glad to see it. I always thought you'd regret 
sooner or later. (Shaving.) By the way, sir, 
haven't you recognized me yet? 

The Customer 
Recognized you? 

The Barber 
Oh, I see. You thought I was just a lunatic. 
Well, I'm not. Look at me. Look at me closely. 

The Customer 
I don't know you I 



20 THE RECKONING 

The Barber 
No? Well, just say to yourself, " Twelve years 
ago this man's hair was not so gray. Twelve years 
ago this man's face didn't show so many lines of 
care. Twelve years ago this man lived — ^well, in 
a little town near Savannah, and " 

The Customer 
{Beginning to recognize him) 
You — you can't be 

The Barber 
Say it. 

The Customer 
Kilburn! 

The Barber 
Yes, Kilburn! 

The Customer 
{Hoarsely) 
And you followed me about ! 

The Barber 
For twelve years ! 

The Customer 
From town to town ! 

The Barber 
I was never more than a week behind you. 



THE RECKONING 21 

The Customer 
{With unutterable horror) 
Good God ! 

The Barber 
Yes, God. I used to think of Him a great deal, 
John. I used to ask Him why He never brought 
you into my shop. 

The Customer 
Oh! Oh! 

The Barber 
But He brought you here at last, John! He 
brought you here at last! (He pauses.) For 
twelve mortal years I've been hoping for this day ! 
Once, in Muscatine, you came in, but there was 
another man in the chair, and you wouldn't wait. 
Once, in Louisville, you crossed my threshold, 
looked at your watch, and walked out again. But 
sooner or later, John, I knew you'd walk into my 
shop, and sit down in my chair! That day has 
come ! {He looks into his eyes.) You and I, John, 
the two of us, have a long account to settle, haven't 
we.'' Fve been one of your creditors, too! And 
this is the reckoning, John! You're going to pay 
me — pay me in full — and you're going to pay me 
now! 



22 THE RECKONING 

The Customer 
What are you going to do? 

The Barbee 
That's a hard question, John. I'd be justified 
in cutting your throat, wouldn't I? 

The Customer 
It would be murder ! 

The Barber 
Ugly word, isn't it? 

The Customer 
Murder in the first degree ! 

The Barber 
Oh, of course! 

The Customer 
They'd get you as sure as fate ! 

The Barber 
I wouldn't run away. 

The Customer 
But, Kilburn, think what you are doing! 

The Barber 
I've been thinking about it for twelve years, 
John, 



THE RECKONING 23 



The Customer 
I'm on my back, helpless ! 

The Baeber 
You'd run if I let you up. 

The Customer 
But give me a chance ! Kilburn, give me 



The Barber 
{Interrwpting) 
No, John, you get no chance. You gave Jennie 
none. {He pauses.) She was just eighteen when 
you came to our town. She was only a child, 
John, only a child. Her mother was dead. I was 
all she had — and she was all I had. And I was 
trying to bring her up right — to make her the 
same kind of a woman her mother had been, if you 
know what that means. 

The Customer 
I didn't 

The Barber 
Don't tell me what you did and what you didn't ! 
She loved you — and — and I trusted you. You 
were going to get married. You took her away 
with you — and you didn't marry her! Marriage? 
Why, you never thought of it ! You couldn't get 
her any other way — you wanted her — and you got 



24 THE RECKONING 

her! You didn't care about me, and you didn't 
care about her. She was a toy. She amused you, 
and when you were through with her, you flung her 
into the gutter! It makes me sick to think of it! 
{He goes on more quietly.) She came home six 
months later. How she got back all the way from 
where you'd taken her, I don't know — and I don't 
like to guess. And then — then 

The Customee 
I'll marry her now, Kilburn. 

The Barber 
You'll have to ask her about that. 

The Customer 
{Eagerly) 
Well? 

The Barber 
In two minutes you'll be able to ask her. 

The Customer 
What do you mean? 

The Barber 
She's dead, John — dead. 

(The Customer groans. Then, sud- 
denly, he tries to rise. The Barber 
places his hand over his forehead and 
eyes, and forces him hack into the chair.) 



THE RECKONING 25 

The Barber 
Thirty seconds for your prayers, John ! 

The Customer 
Don't kill me, man ! Don't kill me ! I'm not fit 
to die! I'm not ready! A minute! Two min- 
utes ! I'm too young ! Don't kill 

(The Barber, still zvith his hand upon 
the other man's eyes, suddenly seizes a 
wet towel and strikes him across the 
throat with it. The Customer faints. 
The Barber looks at him contemptu- 
ously; abruptly raises the chair to a sit- 
ting position; puts aivay the razor.) 

The Barber 
So your nerve gave way, John? Your nerve 
gave way? 

{He spreads the towel over The Cus- 
tomer's face and roughly zmpes away 
the lather.) 

The Customer 
(Beginning to come to; faintly) 
Where am I? 

The Barber 
You ought to be in hell, but I guess you're still 
on God's good earth. 



26 THE RECKONING 

The Customeu 
(Putting his hand to his throat) 
You — 3^ou didn't kill me? 

The Barber 
No. I didn't. 

The Customer 
{Standing up) 
And jou could have! 

The Barber 
John, when you're just about to cross the river, 
when your e3^es are beginning to glaze and your 
heart's about to stop beating, 3 ou won't be nearer 
death than you were a minute ago! 

The Customer 
Why didn't you kill me.? 

The Barber 
It wouldn't bring back Jennie, would it? 

The Customer 
{With a sneer) 
Were you afraid? 

The Barber 
After I had been looking forward to it for twelve 
years? No. 



THE RECKONING 27 

The Customer 
Then why 

The Barber 
(Grimly) 
You'll remember why! (He helps him on with 
his coat.) John, tell me: are fellows who are so 
brave with women always so cowardly when they 
deal with men? Or, (breaking off, speaking 
slowly) , or, perhaps, was it on account of that 
meeting? 

The Customer 
That meeting? Good Lord! 

The Barber 
Yes, the meeting. 

The Customer 
(Looking af the clock) 
Twenty-five minutes past! I'm ruined! I'm 
ruined ! 

The Barber 
(Half to himself) 
I didn't kill you, no ! I left you your life, but I 
made it worthless ! I broke you ! I broke you ! 

The Customer 
(Has crossed stealthily to the door) 
Kilburn ! 



28 THE RECKONING 

The Barber 
(Startled at the sudden change in his voice) 
Yes? 

The Customer 
{Hysterically) 
Thought I was a fool, did jou? Thought I'd 
tell you the real time of the meeting? 

The Barber 
What do you mean? 

The Customer 
{Shrieking) 
You ass ! You idiot ! The meeting doesn't be- 
gin till three-thirty! 

The Barber 
{Calmly) 
Is that all? Well, the clock {pointing to ijt) is 
half an hour slow. 



CURTAIN 



PERCIVAL WILDE'S PLAYS 

^ partial list of Theatres in which Mr. Wilde's plays 
ha've been produced 

Arts and Crafts Theatre, Detroit, Mich. 

Arts League of Service, London, England. 

Art Drama Players, New York City, 

Arts Club, Washington, D. C. 

Ahmy Players, Louisville, Ky. 

Amateur Comedy Club, New York City. 

Associated University Players, Seattle, Wash. 

Brooklyn Repertory Theatre, Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Bramhall Theatre, New York City. 

Chautauqua Players, Chautauqua, N. Y. 

Community Players, Boston, Mass. 

Community Players, Chatham, N. J. 

Community Players, Jefferson, N. Y. 

Community Theatre, Grinnell, Iowa. 

Community Theatre, Hollywood, Cal. 

Community Theatre, Richmond Hill, N, Y. 

Country Players, Harmon, N. Y. 

The Cues of Kew, N. Y. 

East-West Players, New York City. 

Gardens Players. Forest Hills, N. Y. 

Great Northern Players, Chicago, 111. 

Harris Theatre. New York City. 

Lanai Theatre, Honolulu, Hawaii. 

Lenox Little Theatre, New York City. 

Lincoln Heights Community Theatre, Los Angeles, Cal. 

Little Theatre, Alva, Okla. 

Little Theatre, Brookville, Pa. 

Little Theatre, Erie, Pa. 

Little Theatre, Houston, Tex. 

Little Theatre, Oakland, Cal. 

Little Theatre, Rochester, N. Y. 

Little Country Theatre, Agricultural College, No. Dak. 

Little Theatre Society, Milwaukee, Wis. 

Little Theatre Society of Indiana, Indianapolis, Ind. 

McCallum's Theatre, Northampton, Mass. 

The Mummers, New York City. 

Municipal Theatre, Northampton, Mass. 

Mutual Welfare League, Sing Sing Prison, Ossining, N. Y. 

Neighborhood Players, Newark, N. J. 

Palace Theatre, Buenos Aires, Argentine, S. A. 

Peoples Players, Evanston, Ind. 

Peabody Playhouse, Boston, Mass. 

The Players, Detroit, Mich. 

Plays and Players, Philadelphia, Pa. 

The Playhouse on the Moors, Gloucester, Mass. 

Prairie Playhouse, Galesburg, III. 

Playhouse Association of Summit, N. J. 

Prince Street Players, Rochester, N. Y. 

Princess Theatre, New York City. 

St. Francis Little Theatre, San Francisco, Cal. 

Sinai Center Players, Chicago, 111. 

vStuyvesant Players, New York City. 

Temple Players, Newark, N. J. 

University Players, Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Village Players, La JoUa, Cal. 

Vincintian Players, Schenectady, N. Y. 

Wisconsin Players, Milwaukee, Wis. 

Wise Center Players, Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Ypsilanti Players, Ypsilanti, Mich. 

-'ALTER H. BAKER CO., PUBLISHERS 

BOSTON, MASS. 



THE PLAYS OF PERCIVAL WILDE 

The following plays are now obtainable in separate volumes: 

DAWN. Drama in One Act. 

2 men, i woman and a child. Scene, an interior. 
THE NOBLE LORD. Comedy in One Act. 

2 men, i woman. Scene, an exterior. 
THE TRAITOR. Play in One Act. 

7 men. Scene, an interior. Costumes, modem and military. 
A HOUSE OP CARDS. Play in One Act. 

I man, i woman. Scene, an interior. 
PLAYING WITH FIRE. Comedy in One Act. 

1 man, 2 women. Scene, an interior. 
THE FINGER OF GOD. Play in One Act. 

2 men, i woman. Scene, an interior. 
CONFESSIONAL. Play in One Act. 

3 men, 3 women. . Scene, an interior. 

THE VILLAIN IN THE PIECE. An Unromantic Comedy. 

2 men, i woman. Scene, an interior. 
THE BEAUTIFUL STORY. Play in One Act. 

1 man, i woman and a child. Scene, an interior. 
A QUESTION OF MORALITY. Play in One Act. 

3 men, i woman. Scene, an interior. 
THE RECKONING. Drama in One Act. 

2 men. Scene, an interior. 

THE LINE OF NO RESISTANCE. Comedy in One Act. 
I man, 2 women. Scene, an interior. 

Price, 35 cents each. 



DAWN 

and Other One-Act Plays of Life Today 

Including: 

Dawn, The Noble Lord, The Traitor, A House of Cards, 
Playing with Fire, The Finger of God 

Price, cloth binding, $1.50 net 

"A striking talent ... An emphatic technical dexterity . . . Obviously written 
to be acted." — Clayton Hamilton in The Bookman, 

"I read it through at one sitting and got real thrills from it." — Augustus 
Thomas. 

"What O. Henry has done in his stories, Mr. Wilde has done in these little 
plays." — G. W. Stark in Detroit News. 

181932 



I 



